TBS in a Family Way

6/15/2004 9:09 AM Eastern

By: By R. Thomas Umstead

TBS will air Family Guy Wednesdays in primetime beginning next month.

As part of the network’s new comedy lineup under its new “very funny” brand positioning, TBS will air the animated series at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. beginning July 7. Installments about the Griffin family will precede Seinfeld on TBS’ Wednesday primetime programming.

In addition to airing on TBS, Family Guy will continue to air as part of Cartoon Network’s “Adult Swim,” where it is the highest-rated show on the network’s late-night adult-animation block, which leads all of cable year to date in delivering men 18-24 and adults 18-24 in its time period -- Saturday-Thursday from 11 p.m.-5 a.m.

“Adding Family Guy to our primetime lineup is the next step toward making TBS the ultimate destination for comedy lovers,” said Steve Koonin, executive vice president and chief operating officer for TBS and Turner Network Television, in a prepared statement.

“It joins such other blockbuster series as Sex and the City, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends and Seinfeld, as well as our hilarious new reality series, Outback Jack, in making TBS a ‘very funny’ place for viewers,” he added.

Production is currently under way on 22 more episodes of Family Guy.

The new installments of the series -- which saw 50 episodes originally run on Fox -- are expected to hit the air late next spring or in early summer 2005. Fox will likely be home to the premieres, with encores to follow one week or so later on Cartoon.